12 Careers to Pursue with a Communications Major | Indeed.com

12 Careers to Pursue with a Communications Major

Updated April 18, 2024

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Communications majors have many options regarding career paths upon graduation. Having excellent communication skills allows students to work in a wide range of industries including media, business, sales and government, among many others. In this article, we explore what a communications major is and the most common jobs related to this degree.

What is a communications major?

Students who major in communications learn about effective communication and how it pertains to different industries. Depending on your desired job position, you may take a variety of communication classes related to marketing, business and sociology, as well as journalism and other media-related courses. Some specializations within a communications major include:

Journalism, media and broadcasting. Communications majors with an interest in various forms of media and broadcasting learn skills that help them perform research and write, edit, direct, analyze and produce stories in professional formats.
Business and industrial relations. Students interested in business and organizational communications learn skills that help them be better business leaders and consultants.
Marketing, advertising and public relations. Communications majors who pursue a career in marketing, advertising and similar fields learn skills that help them be successful in creating and promoting messages traditional and digital realms.
Government and politics: Communications majors who enjoy topics related to politics, society and culture take classes that help them become great speakers, campaigners and community affairs specialists who understand the importance of public voice.

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Common jobs for communications majors

Here are the most common jobs for communications majors by salary:

1. Journalist

National Average Salary: $41,431 per yearPrimary Duties: Journalists write news articles and stories by interviewing sources and researching information related to specific news-worthy topics. Their stories may appear in print publications like newspapers and magazines, as well as online websites. Research may take journalists to a variety of settings, though when it comes to writing and editing, they spend the majority of their time in offices working with other members of the editorial team.Read more: Learn About Being a Journalist

2. College Assistant

National Average Salary: $50,046 per yearPrimary Duties: College assistants work within an educational setting to complete clerical work like answering phones, inputting student information into the college's database, ordering office supplies, issuing student identification cards, sending electronic forms, handling cash and other related office work. They may also assist professors and administrative staff with special requests.

3. Public Relations Assistant

National Average Salary: $44,106 per yearPrimary Duties: Professionals in this entry-level role provide administrative support to members of the public relations (PR) department. Typical duties include writing and researching PR topics for inclusion in newsletters, reports, press kits and presentations. They may monitor media coverage and field phone calls from members of the media and other clients.

4. Event Planner

National Average Salary: $52,407 per yearPrimary Duties: Event planners, also known as "meeting planners," coordinate every aspect of a business meeting or event. This involves arranging for transportation, scheduling meeting dates, choosing venues, reviewing vendor bids, meeting with clients and monitoring the progress of the event as it gets closer to the date. They may survey attendees beforehand to learn preferences for specific elements of the meeting, like themes, topics, locations, accommodations and more.

5. Advertising Specialist

National Average Salary:$54,607 per yearPrimary Duties: Advertising specialists work in advertising agencies to develop advertising campaigns and build relationships with clients. This may include duties like creating new ad concepts, delivering presentations, managing budgets and cash flows, negotiating campaign expectations and providing insight into campaign performance. They commonly work long in-office hours that may include weekends.

6. Health Educator

National Average Salary: $49,612 per yearPrimary Duties: Health educators work with the general public, teaching them topics designed to promote a healthier lifestyle. Some of these topics include nutrition, overall wellness and fitness. They plan and implement treatment programs centered around the needs of the community, then evaluate the success of the programs after a certain period of time. They often enroll participants into specific programs and maintain patient logs while monitoring an individual's progress.

7. Social Media Manager

National Average Salary: $55,933 per yearPrimary Duties: Social media managers are responsible for overseeing a brand's social media channels. They may regularly contribute to the content within each platform and monitor any comments and messages from followers and the general public. Social media managers often create partnerships with other relevant brands that allow for original, shareable and engaging content. Primarily, people in this role must look for ways to increase the brand's online presence and convert leads into clients or customers.Read more: Learn About Being a Social Media Manager

8. Human Resources Specialist

National Average Salary: $47,207 per yearPrimary Duties: Depending on the area they're employed in, human resource specialists may perform a broad range of duties related to employee recruiting, hiring, training and development. Their role may fall under one of five specialty areas including:

Employment and recruiting
Training and development
Job analysis
Labor and employee relations
Benefits and compensation

9. Public Affairs Specialist

National Average Salary: $42,404 per yearPrimary Duties: Public affairs specialists curate a positive image for their client or employer. Their duties may include crafting media releases, raising funds for specific organizations and directing public relations programs. They may write speeches for clients, develop press kits and analyze the public opinion of clients through tools like surveys and polls.

10. Copywriter

National Average Salary: $58,458 per yearPrimary Duties: Copywriters are skilled marketing professionals who create content for specific marketing and advertising goals. They write articles, ad copy, social media posts, blog posts and other digital messaging designed to keep people engaged, informed and inspired to perform a specific action. Copywriters often use search engine optimization (SEO) strategies to help clients' content rank higher in the search engine results page (SERP), which increases sales and traffic.Read more: Learn About Being a Copywriter

11. Sales Representative

National Average Salary: $69,403 per yearPrimary Duties: Sales representatives have specific training to sell products and services that appeal to a wide range of customers. For example, there are sales representatives in many industries, including automotive, healthcare, financial, real estate, consumer packaged goods (CPG), cybersecurity and others. They communicate with new and existing customers about their goals and needs. Then, sales representatives present and demonstrate products and services that help customers meet their needs and goals.Read more: Learn About Being a Sales Representative

12. Brand Manager

National Average Salary: $71,835 per yearPrimary Duties: Brand managers are responsible for establishing and maintaining the desired image of a brand. They monitor market trends, watch the activity related to competitors' products and work with marketing managers to ensure their company's messaging is as effective as possible. This messaging relates to social media campaigns, events and other promotional content. Brand managers work to ensure that the overall marketing strategy aligns with the brand strategy and its target market.

Video: Communications Director’s Mom Tries to Explains Her Daughter’s Job
We tested Josie to see how much she knows about her daughter Jasmine’s career. What skills or education do you need to become a communications director?

 

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